The Puppeteer (8 page)

“We know Ambassador Smythe is more interested in appearance than substance. Being an Ambassador, especially to the US, is a big deal for him.” Adam continued, moving a few of the pictures around.

“Why? Other than the obvious perks,” Marmie asked.

“He grew up wealthy, but in a very dysfunctional household. His grandfather made the money, his father expanded the empire. But Jonathan didn't get any of those genes.” He held up a picture of Ambassador Smythe in his younger days, at a polo match. A vacuous grin on his face and a glass of champagne in his hand.

“That's an understatement,” Drew interjected, not looking up from the report he was reviewing.

Adam continued, “And his father was very vocal about it. Jonathan tried, but couldn't live up to his dad's expectations.”

“And being appointed Ambassador is a way he can try to prove his worth,” Dani stated.

Adam nodded. “It is. But there are two ways this can go. Either he is using his political position to get into the arms trade as a way to make money and show his father he has balls—”

“Or, given his background, he wouldn't risk losing the position, in which case someone else is involved,” Dani interjected as she rose from her chair and approached the board. “Do we have any real intel on the daughter? Other than her reputation?”

“No,” Adam shook his head.

“And why her?” she pressed.

“If Keogh is involved, he is just the kind of man she would go for. Older, distinguished, rich, and a man who likes to have a good time.”

Dani studied the board, examining the faces. Wondering who, if any, might be illegally shipping weapons into the United States.

“Drew?” she said, turning for confirmation that they should follow up on the newest Smythe to enter the equation. He nodded.

Dani stood and spoke as she collected the photos. “Let's take a closer look at the daughter, Adam. See what you can find. And let's keeping digging on Keogh.”

Chapter 7

AFTER LEAVING PETE'S PLACE,
Ty headed back to the station, thinking about what Jay had told him. If there were two levels of security, was there a third or a fourth? Chances were, two levels were probably it. There weren't that many firms in the US that worked with underwater security systems. Of course, that assumed Getz hired local, and Ty wasn't about to make that assumption.

He tried to finish up some lingering paperwork, but his head was focused on what advantage Jay's information might give him. And when it arrived, it made for interesting reading. By the time he scrolled through the email, he knew all the benefits of the system and all the potential pitfalls—pitfalls intended to be covered by other, equally expensive systems.

Ty leaned back in his chair and absorbed what he'd read. He knew what the Hunley protected and what it didn't, but he didn't know if there was a way around it, a way to get through it. No doubt Getz's secondary set up would cover the holes the Hunley left open, creating the semblance of an impenetrable wall. So, working on the assumption that the holes would be plugged, the only way through would be to find some weakness in the system itself, some way to get around it.

Ty picked up the phone and dialed. “Cam,” he said when the line picked up.

“Ty,” a voice answered. “How's my baby brother?”

“Ready for a little one-on-one,” Ty smiled as he answered.

“My computer or yours?” his brother shot back. Cameron was three years older, but about half a foot shorter and whole lot lighter.
He'd made a bundle in a computer start-up that went big, and then quit because he got bored. Cam was a genius with no talent for anything more physical than rapid-fire keyboarding. On the other hand, he could hack a computer like nobody's business. Legally, of course. Companies hired him to find the faults in their software and billionaires hired him to test entire systems. And his brother was going to tap him for information.

“What's up?” Cam asked.

“I need some information and I was hoping you might be able to help me out? Are you familiar with an underwater security system called the Hunley?”

“I live in the Northwest which is nothing but water and billionaires.” Ty could imagine Cam's eyes roll. “Yes, I'm familiar with the product.”

“Exactly what I was counting on, old man,” Ty grinned, knowing the name-calling would goad his brother. “I'm looking for a weakness.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Ty knew his brother was obsessive about the confidentiality of his findings—as was everyone who worked for him. The only people entitled to know were the people who paid to know. And the people who paid to know went through an extensive background check to ensure the information they were asking for was being requested in good faith.

“Are you asking in an official capacity?”

“I don't have a warrant for the information, but yes, it is for a case. I can't say more than that.” Ty understood his brother's hesitation, and wouldn't hold it against him if he decided not to share the information, but he had to ask anyway.

“A drug case?” his brother pushed.

“Seeing as I work for vice, that's a pretty good assumption.”

“But there's more isn't there?” Cam asked, knowing the answer.

Ty wasn't at all surprised at the question. He had been with vice for six years, and this was the first time he'd ever asked his brother for information.

“Yes.” Ty knew he didn't need to say more. Cam would sort through the scary maze that was his brain, start making connections, and figure that if Ty was asking for help, the case had to pose a substantial risk.

“9/11 or Oklahoma City?” Cam said. He was talking more to himself than to Ty, but Ty knew that when he remained silent, Cam would know he was right.

“OK.” Cam drew the word out. “I'll see what I can get you.”

“Thanks. You're the best.” Ty breathed a sigh of relief.

“Tell that to mom,” Cam rejoined, lightening the conversation. They chatted for a few more minutes and, when Ty looked up after putting the phone back in the cradle, Marty stood across the desk.

“How's the girl?” he asked.

“Girl?” Ty pretended to not understand.

“The hot little filly,” Marty demanded, taking his seat across from Ty.

Ty rolled his eyes. “The
woman
is a federal agent, and she's fine.”

“How fine?” Marty waggled his eyebrows.

Ty shook his head and decided to change the subject. “They've got quite a set up out there. Big house, lots of equipment.”

“Good stuff?” Marty asked.

“Best I've seen. Some of it I couldn't even have conceived of. But there it was, functioning like a dream.”

“Kind of like the filly,” Marty grinned.

“How did the terror tactics work this morning?” Ty tried to change the subject again.

Marty made a face. “Interviewing a bunch of upstarts who want to be undercover. Why the hell they'd want to give up their nice clean lives to go play at being the scum of the earth is beyond me.”

“Anyone good?” There had been a couple of open positions in the division for a while now and everyone was starting to lose hope they'd ever get filled, despite the near constant inflow of candidates.

Marty hemmed and hawed a bit before answering. “Yeah. A girl. A
woman
,” he corrected at Ty's raised brows. “Looks like a girl though, barely sixteen. Would be perfect for the high school scene.”

“How old is she, really?” Ty asked, curious. The cops who could go undercover as high school kids always sort of fascinated him. By the time he'd come into law enforcement he knew he wore a weary, wary, and jaded look. He couldn't remember ever looking as young as the kids in school these days.

“Twenty-three,” Marty replied. Ty wasn't sure of the reason for the disgust he heard in Marty's voice. Marty had a whole host of things he believed justified his aversion to almost everything. Thank god most of them were about as superficial as Marty's feelings. At heart, he was a good guy, just hard to get used to.

“On that note, I'm out of here,” Ty said, rising from his seat.

Marty roused. “Going to see the filly?”

“Nope, going rock climbing. See you tomorrow,” Ty called over his shoulder.

Marty grumbled as Ty headed out the door, “You young ‘uns have no respect.”

*   *   *

Dani lay crosswise on the bed and thumbed through a stack of grisly photos. A man shot execution style the subject of all but a few of them. “He's involved, Drew. I know it.”

Drew cast her a look before returning to the suitcase he was unpacking. “Maybe,” he said.

“Not maybe, Drew. I
know
it.”

“I'm glad you know it. I think I'll wait for more evidence,” he replied, turning to the closet to hang a suit.

“Sarcasm does not become you, Andrew,” she grinned up at him.

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, mother,” he drawled. Dani smiled to herself, she was
nothing
like his mother.

She turned her head and looked out the window, it wasn't dark yet, but it would be in a few hours. The team had spent most of the afternoon looking into Smythe and his family. Adam still was. But Dani was taking a few minutes to catch up with Drew and try her hand, yet again, at convincing him that the man she was looking for was involved in this case.

She opened her mouth to say something else, then closed it, cocking her head to the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

“Come in,” Drew called after a sharp knock echoed in the room. The door opened and Ty stood in the doorway.

Dani's eyes, of their own free will, swept over him in an appreciative glance. Until she looked at his face. His eyes darted from her, fully clothed, but lounging on the bed, to Drew, also fully clothed, but in different clothes than he'd worn earlier.

“Sir,” he said to Drew holding out a file.

“What's this?” Drew said, taking it from Ty.

“Getz's underwater security system. Or a part of it anyway,” Ty answered.

Drew's brow shot up as he flipped the folder open and perused the pages. Dani didn't often see Drew impressed, but he was impressed now.

“Good work, Detective,” he said, handing the folder to Dani who opened it to find information on the Hunley monitors as well as a map with the location of each monitor and marks indicating possible secondary monitors.

“And the secondary system?” Drew asked.

“I'm working on it. I should have something to you in a day or so.”

Drew nodded in approval.

“I'm also obtaining information on the weaknesses of the Hunley. Once we know the make and model of the secondary monitor, I'll do the same for it.”

“Fast work, Detective,” Drew commented.

“We locals are sometimes good for something,” Ty responded. Dani glanced up to see Drew's reaction to intentional provocation. To her surprise, he seemed more amused than anything. And then his eyes flickered to her.

“I'm sure you locals are good for quite a few things,” he commented.

Ty's mouth hinted at a smile. Only it wasn't the warm fuzzy kind. “I also have a couple of visual surveillance spots I think Cotter should know about. They wouldn't have shown up on his radar.”

Dani watched as the two men assessed each other. No doubt, Drew was pleased with Ty's information and action-oriented characteristics but, to her, he looked like he was withholding his final judgment.

“Cotter's busy, take Dani,” Drew said as he turned back to his task of unpacking.

To anyone else, the words would sound like any other order handed down from the team leader. But to Dani, they held a hint of something else. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to gauge him, tried to read his intent. Never had Drew asked her to take a visual surveillance lead when Cotter's team was at full capacity.

“You own a leather jacket?” Ty interrupted her thoughts.

She turned to look at him.

“A leather jacket?” he prompted. “We'll take my bike.”

“Of course I have a leather jacket,” she replied.

“Fine,” he answered. And waited, holding her gaze.

“Fine,” she said, pulling her eyes from his. “I need a few minutes to finish something and then I'll go grab it. I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes.” She had dismissed him. And with one last glance at Drew, Ty complied and disappeared down the stairs.

“Jesus, Dani. What the hell is up with you and the detective? He looks like he wants to kick my ass when he sees the two of us together.” Drew took a pair of shoes from his bag and set them in a line in the closet.

“You could take him,” she interjected with a nonchalant shrug.

Drew raised a brow. “I'd suspect something happened between the two of you, but you just met this morning—so what the hell is going on?”

She was silent.

“Shit,” he said on a breath, acknowledging her unspoken confession.

She'd never been able to hide anything from Drew. And until now, it had never bothered her. “It's nothing.”

“Like hell, it's nothing, Dani.”